Device for removing snow



E. H. DANIELS DEVICE FOR REMOVING SNOW Feb. 10, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1950 ATTOEA/EYS Feb. 10, 1953 E. H. DANIELS 2,627,679

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SNOW Filed March 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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HTTORNEYT Feb. 10, 1953 E. H. DANlELS DEVICE FOR REMOVING SNOW 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 1, 1950 MN M Federated Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFWE DEVICE FOR REMOVING SNOW Ervie H. Daniels, France, Minn.

Application March 1, 1950, Serial No. 147,051

'7 Qiairns. (81. 37-43) My invention relates to a device for removin snow from highways, driveways, sidewalks, and the like, and has for its object to provide in arrangement adapted to be propelled over a roadway which has members for removing the snow mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and move the snow into a hood chamber from which it is driven by blasts of air created by the snowmoving and elevating means and by special fan members for that purpose, the snow being blown out of appropriately positioned chutes to be discharged laterally from the apparatus by the snow-lifting and air-moving means.

Snow removal from highways, roads, railroad tracks and the like has been for years a major problem. The ordinary snow plow, now quite generally used, aims to push the snow sideways by means of slanting blades and thus throw the snow off the roadway. In some instances snow removal from railroad tracks has been by means of a snow plow on the front of a locomotive with blades slanted in opposite directions from the center which has been effective where the snow is not too deep or packed in large drifts. Another means of removing snow from railroad tracks has been by means of bladed devices operating about a horizontal axis and cutting into the snow and pushing it back into a fan compartment from which it is blown out sideways by the fans therein. This has the advantage oi moving the snow some considerable distance from the tracks.

All of these devices effect snow removal very slowly in lineal speed along highways or tracks and each consumes large amounts of power and is not too effective for the purpose, and I know of no means which is suitable for removal of snow rapidly from driveways, sidewalks and smaller roads, as well as highways, and I know of no air-blown removal where the snow is picked up uniformly across the width of a highway or road.

I have discovered that if one or more drums, preferably two, are mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and have on the outside thereof a multiplicity of helical lifting and blower blades adapted to present an unbroken front of helical channels for a width of some ten to twelve feet, together with air moving means, and discharge chutes from a top casing, a more effective removal of snow can be rapidly accomplished, so rapidly in fact that it is practical to remove the snow as it falls or is drifted upon a road thus eliminating the packing and formation of ice which takes place so readily at the present time.

My arrangement is preferably mounted upon runners which rest it upon the surface of the roadway and is propelled from behind by a truck or automobile. The snow removal can take place at transitional speeds over the highway or twenty miles per hour or better. Thus an operator of one of these machines who has a section of road, say fifty miles long to keep clear, can go over it during a snow storm for a width of twenty feet every four hours or less, which under normal conditions would pretty eifectively keep the snow on a highway almost as fast as it falls or blows in, thus eliminating snow-blocked highways.

I have discovered that a snow remover embodying two such drums with discharge chutes at each side is adapted to clean a strip ten feet wide, being particularly effective in removing snow from sidewalks and city streets, and driveways going to garages in either urban or country homes, as well a to remove snow from the larger and more important highways. This arrangement is also well adapted for use in removing snow from railroad tracks where the arrangement would be mounted upon wheels riding the tracks and would clean effectively an area ten feet in width by being pushed by a locomotive at speeds of twenty miles an hour or better.

It is a principal object of my invention, therefore, to provide a snow-removing member which consists of a cylindrical drum mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and to mount on the outside walls of the drum a series of lifter blades helically positioned on said outside surfaces so as to extend half a circumference around and from bottom to top of the drum, andto provide means for rotating the drum 'at considerable speed.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a cylindrical casing for said drum which is open at its bottom portion for a part or" a distance from top to bottom thereof, but is closed about one-half of the cylinder at the rear, thus exposing the edges of the rotating blades to the snow on the road, highway or sidewalk as the device is forwarded over it.

It is a further object of my invention, in a preferred form, to mount two of said drums in vertically parallel relation on common supporting means and to rotate the drums in opposite directions so that the thrust from each drum tending to move the frame laterally will be opposed by a corresponding thrust of the other drum in opposite directions.

It is a further, object of my invention to provide a housing and chamber over the upperpart of the drum arrangement into which the snow lifted by the drum or the two drums will be discharged with the air drawn up with the snow, together with additional air moved by central fans and operative to draw air from under the bottom edges of the drums, whereby loose snow in the area below the drums will be picked up and discharged.

It is a furtherobject of my invention to have one or more discharge chutesfopening fromthe discharge chamber, each oi; said chutes being provided with hinged covers so that one or the other of the chutes may be blocked out of operation.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for mounting a gas engine on the upper part of the device and for -transmitting .ro tating power from the gas engine to vertical shafts upon which the drum or drums is or are mounted.

It is a iurther object of rny 'invention'to .provide a removable housing' for the drive-gears above described so that ready access to itmay be had.

It is a further and very highly important ob- I ject of my invention to make the helical blades shown U'-shaped in cross section, as clearly shown-in Figs; 3 and 4, whereby' helical troughs will be formed for each blade for causing the snow to slide-up the trough asthe drums are rotated together, withmovement of; airup the troughs to' discharge with snow into the receivingcasing at the top. I

It is aifiirther object of my invention to provide a setof runners under my appliance; these runners being of a size and position tohold the whole appliance a short distanceabove the surfacel of the roadway and to give support to the entire iance It; is a further object of my invention to pro videmean s for connecting the appliance, resting upon the runners on the; pavement of the road or highway while the apparatus; is in operation, with means forconnecting it'toa truck or automobil 'e ior pushingit operation, and toarrange inconjunction vinthsaidmounting means, means: for lifting the entire snow-removal apparatus a considerable distance from the ground to" be supported at the {front of the truck for movmg irom placetoplace when not in operation.

T ib ie iean se ailt es o my i e tion. w l 11 1 53 11 P de il d l t fi l i' Q e e' i i l snps s d ific t e an t ovei j amresby. w h t e or m ntione a ni s qu a d e ira eresmt a o te v be particularly pointed out in the claims.

i t d wi sl i i atipa a o o r nr qnin sinsiiiz t ip si Fig. l is a front elevation viewwith some parts in ct n o my mo t a or a dev s Fig. 2 is an end elevation view of what is shown i 1, sho iee t e i s ne co n tin th deYiceeii, hefre i nd q enm qm i e Q i Fig; 3 is 'a sectional plan view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. r V

Fig; 4 is a sectional elevation view taken on 1ine'4 4-ormg.1j. v e V V Fig. 5 is a top plarrview of the device on a considerably smaller scale tha n in Figs. 1 to fit.)

The basic elementof my invention is a cylinder I0 made of heavy sheetmetal to which great-1 tached, as shown in Figs. 3 and i, a multiplicity of lifter blades l I. These blades, asclearly-shown in- Figs. 3 and 4, are. substantially U-shape d with upperedges, as indicated at l2; extending in a 4 direction approaching vertical. The degree of U-bend may be varied as conditions require, but the arrangement is such that a trough I3 is formed in each blade.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, these blades H, the preferred number being twelve thereof, as indicated, are secured to the outside of the drum in the form of a helix, which in each instance extends from top -to bottom of and about h lfway around the drum.

Between the outer edge 12 of the blade and the next blade above is a space 14. Within this space and in the troughs l3 snow and air are trapped and caused to be lifted to discharge at the top, indicated at i5, in Fig. 2, into a receiving chamber i6 formed by the upper part I! of acasing member l8.

This casing member has a top part l9 enclosing the chamber I6, an annular full cylindrical part 26 forming the upper part of and enclosing a cylinder portion of cylinder it). This lower portion is cut away, as indicatedat 2| and22, Fig. 3, to provide a semi cylinder-exposedpart of the drum with outer edge 23 and top edge 24, as best shown in'Figs. 1 and 2. That leavesa lower front semi-cylinder partof cylinder [8. en tirely open fronting the direction of movementof the snow-removal device overthepavement ,'as shown in Fig. 2 and also in Fig. 1.'

A series of strong support members 25 are secured to the lower edgeofcasing 3,8 3 shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and which run longitudinally across both of said casings and run in a direction trans verse to the direction in which the device is moved by the pushing tractor, automobile or truck. To these a series of preferably steel runners, part shown in dotted linesin Fig. 3,-and which are designated 26 come underneath the transverse members 25'and are secured thereto and constitute with the members 25 not only a bottom supporting framework forthe entire device, but runnersuponwhich it may slide asit is pushed by the tractor, truck or automobile.

To a shaft 21, Figs. land 2, extending vertically along the center of cylinder I0 is secured said cylinder H! by means of an upper set of spokes-28, a center set of spokes 29, and a bottom set of spokes 30. As best shown in Fig.- 4, these spokescornprise pieces of strap iron or other. strong steel united to-hubs 31 which are swad'ged or welded upon shaft 21 inany well-known wayso as to be rigidly attached thereto, and which are secured to cylinder l8 by L extensions and bolts or rivets, as indicated at 32. Y

The shaft 21 and the cylinder l0 and the blades H carried thereby thus-constitute a completely integrated member adapted to be rotated by and torotatewith the shaft 21-.

Upon the integrated framework made up of members 25' and 26 is a heavy thrust bearing, indicated schematically at 33, which may be of any well-known type, to receive the lower end 34 of shaft'z'i'. This bearing must be made-of sufiicient size and resistance to support theentire weight of shaft 2'! and the partssecured thereto including the cylinder I8 and the blades attached to cylinder ID.

The upper end of shaft 2l-will bemountedin a bearing 35 of strength equivalent to that or bearing 33, as shown in Fig. 4. The bearing 35 rests on a level part 36 of'top portion I901 casing- Held on journals supported by brackets 38 and 39 is a horizontal shaft 40, Fig. 1, which has on its ends spur gears 4| and 42, simultaneously meshing with spur gears 31 and 31' on the ends of shafts 2i and 27, shown in dotted lines in Fig. l.

The shaft 40 in turn has thereon a spur gear 43 that meshes with a spur gear 44, Figs. 1 and fast on a shaft 45 which is a linear extension of motor shaft 45' of a gas engine 46, shown in Fig. 4. The motor as is supported upon a plat form 4'? in turn supported by links 48 and 69, links 48 being secured at 50 to the part is of casing l8.

A clutch 55 of standard construction may be applied to clutch and unclutch shaft 45 to motor shaft 45' as desired. A conveniently positioned handle 52 will be provided to operate the clutch 5|.

A hub 53 of a lower fan member 5% is fast on shaft 2?. Likewise a hub 55 of upper fan member 55 is formed on shaft 21. These fans are positioned in the spaces 58 on the inside of cylinders it. This space 58 is fully open top and bottom except for the very small amount of area occupied by spokes 28, 29 and 3!}.

The space 58 opens at the bottom to a space 59 between the bottoms 6% of runners 28, that is the space below the lower end of the blade carrying cylinder l9 and the level of the pavement, except for the slight area occupied by the supporting runners 26. Likewise the cylindrical interior 5B of cylinder I is open at 6! to chamber l6 within casing parts H and l9.

It follows that the fans and 55 will draw air from outside along the spaces between run ners 25 of both cylinders i8 and along the upper surfaces of the pavement, picking up any loose snow in such region, and will discharge this snow into chamber 26 and will add substantially to the blast of air going through this chamber to points of discharge.

As shown in 1, there are two such discharge ducts 62 and 63. These ducts are secured to the horizontal portion 56 of top casing member i5. Hinged at 6t to the bottom part of opening 55 from discharge chute 62 is a cover member 85 shown in Figs. 1 and 5 in open position where it rests upon the sloping end portion Bl of top member l9. Similarly to discharge chute 63 there is hinged at 68 a cover member 69 which is shown latched in closed position, by clips 68.

These cover members may be simply and easily operated to open both discharge chutes E2 and 83, or to close either 62 or 63, so that the selected one on either side of the device may operate.

The chutes G2 and 63 are revolubly mounted in collar members l5 and H which make it practical to adjust them about a vertical axis to vary the direction of discharge of snow from these chutes either forward, at right angles of the discharge or movement of the device, or, when desired, forwardly or to the rear thereof.

The gear arrangement above described operates to move the blade-carrying drums It in opposite directions. .As shown, this direction is toward the outside, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. Operation in exactly the opposite direction, so as to make the blade-carrying drums move toward the V, indicated at 12 of Fig. 3, can be substituted for that shown, by merely reversing the position of the two blade-carrying drums, and for many purposes that will be the preferred position for operation of the blade-carrying drums.

The gearing for simultaneously driving the two blade-carrying drums, as shown in Fig. l, is protected in a gear casing 13 which has its bottom on the top of level top member 36, Figs. 1 and 4, and which is enclosed by gear cap 14 provided with end flanges 15 and 16 which extend entirely around the cover member as indicated at H and 18 of Fig. 5. A series of bolts 19 through flanges Ti and I8 and flat casing portion 36 removably secured to cover plate 14 act to enclose the gear chamber 13.

It will be noted that the difference in gear sizes of gears ll and 31, and 42 and 37' will determine the desired rate of rotation of the blade-carrying drums ID. This should be fairly rapid in order to create the desired air pressure for forcing the snow out of the outlets 62 and E3. Probably where normal engine speed of around 1750 R. P. M. occurs, the reduction, indicated in Fig. 1, would make the actual speed of the blade-carrying drums around 700 or 800 R. P. M. which would be a desirable speed. Obvi ously this speed may be varied as conditions require.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 2, frame support and draft members comprise a bar '19, which is secured at its end portions 89 and 8! to the respec tive lower wall portions of the two casing mem bers [8. This bar is strongly reinforced by a bracing member 82, which has portions 83 and 8&1 rigidly connected with the bar 19 and are provided with downward collar extensions 81 and 88 about openings 89 and 90, as shown in Fig. 3. An exactly similar arrangement, with similarly primed numbers, as shown in Fig. 2, is attached to the upper part of casing members IS.

The collar extensions 81 and 81 surround a cylindrical upright SI and a corresponding upright to extend through the opening 9b. These uprights are secured at their bottoms to strong frame members 92 which are extended forwardly from the frame of the tractor, automobile or truck, andpowerful braces 93 extend from the top of the uprights 9| to which they are secured at 94, all as shown in Fig. 3.

The power means for driving the snow removal assembly is indicated in dotted lines at 95. This power means hasattachedthereto in a well-- known manner a tubular upright shown in dotted.

lines at 96.

cable 9'! connected to the member and cable.

t8 connected to the member 85'. These cables run over pulleys schematically indicated in dotted lines at 99 by which means the outer casing It is lifted and lowered to bring the apparatus Well above the road surface while it is being transported when not in use, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The advantages of my invention will sufficiently appear from the detailed description thereof heretofore given. A fundamental and primary advantage of this invention resides-in the fact that the snow-cleaning arrangement herein set forth is operable uniformly across its width upon the pavement, or at the level of railroad'tracks throughout its full width, which may be ten feet or wider as conditions require, and that the snow removal is complete throughout that width. This is made possible by reason of the fact that the drums rotate about a vertical axis and hence the entire effective snow-cleaning part of the drum at its bottom is level and very slightly spaced from the pavement, so that the blasts of air which are created about and within the drums employed will sweep suchsurf-ace clean of all loose snowj This results in another and further great advantage, which is that the snow-cleaning apparatus can be moved along highways at very considerable speed, twenty M. P. H. or at greater speeds, which makes it possible to remove snow as it is falling and which at the same time will effectively remove the snow from any drifts or other accumulations on the highway.

A further advantage resides in the fact that the speed at which the blade-carrying drums are rotated necessarily, even when the machine is being moved across or along the road at the above noted speeds, actually lifts the snow to be rotated along the helical blades inan extremely comminuted manner, so that the snow will readily be lifted in and discharged from the air pressure chamber at the top out of the discharge ducts provided for that purpose.

A further advantage. is found in the provision of discharge ducts at each side of the apparatus together with controllable, easily accessible and easily operated closure means. which thus are operable either singly or both together, as. may be expedient or requisite.

Other advantages reside in the fact that the apparatus is compact, moving parts well protected and easily accessible, that the driving means from the operating motor is simple and well protected though accessible, and that initial cost of the entire machine and upkeep and cost of operation will all be reasonable.

I claim:

1. In a snow-removing device embodying vertically mounted cylindershaving open ends provided with helically mounted blades and with fans within the open ended body of the cylinders, a casing rigidly held in relation to said cylinders, runners securedto the casing and adapted to slide on a surface from which snow is being removed, means for causing the apparatus to be moved on said runners over saidsurface at. speeds of from 15 to 25 miles per hour, a chamber formed by the casing above the upper ends; of the: cylinders adapted to receive a blastof mixed air and snow therefrom, andan opening. formed. in. said casing and. leading from said. chamber.- through which. thesnow and. air is adapted to. be discharged.

2. In. a snow removing: device embodying vertically mounted cylinders having openends providecl with helically mounted blades and with fans within the openendedbody of thecylinclers, a casing rigidly held in relation to said cylinders, runners. secured to the casing and adapted to slide on a/surface from which snow is being removed, means for causing: the apparatus to be moved on said runners. over said. surface at. speeds of from 15 to 25 miles per hour, a chamber formed by the casing. above the. upper ends of the cylinders, adapted toreceive abla'st of mixed air and snow therefrom, a pair of openings formed in said casing. atopposite ends of said chamber. leading. from. said. chamber through which the, snow. andair is adapted to be: discharged, and readily operable closure means for said openings whereby, both or either one-of said openings may be made. operative;

3. A snow-removing device which comprises; a rotatable hollow cylinder forming an air duct, a vertical shaft at the center of the'cylinder connected with and supporting the. 5211118,;1 multiplicity of blades helically mounted on the outside of the cylinder andextending upwardly; a single casing surrounding, the rear and upper portion of said cylinder and blades to form-conjointly an air chamber connected with .the-.-air= ductpmea'ns:

for rotating the shaft and cylinder and blades, and means within the air duct for causing a current of air therethrough into the chamber.

4. A snow-removing device which comprises, a rotatable hollow cylinder forming an air duct, a vertical shaft at the center of the cylinder connected with and supporting the same, a multiplicity of blades helically mounted on the outside of the cylinder and extending upwardly, an integral casing surrounding the rear and upper portion of said cylinder and blades to form conjointly an air chamber connected with the air duct, means for rotating the shaft and cylinder and blades, and a fan on the shaft within the cylinder rotated with the cylinder located close to the surface from which the snow is being removed to lift the snow directly from said surface and discharge it together with air from the upper ends of said blades into said chamber.

5. A snow-removing device which comprises, a pair of rotatable hollow cylinders forming ax ially parallel open-ended air ducts, a vertical shaft at the center of each cylinder connected with and supporting the cylinder, a multiplicity of blades helically mounted on the outside of the cylinder and extending upwardly from points close to ground level, a single casing surrounding the rear and upper portion of each cylinder and set of blades to form an air chamber connected with the air ducts and extending from close to the surface from which the snow is removed about the outer limits of the blades through a major part of their vertical extent and conjointly forming a chamber connected with each air duct, a fan within and rotated with each cylinder, and means for rotating the respective shaft and cylinder and helical blades and fans of the two cylinders in opposite directions.

6. A snow-removing device which comprises, a pair of rotatable hollow cylinders forming axially parallel open-ended air ducts, a vertical shaft at the center of each cylinder connected with and supporting the cylinder, a multiplicity of blades helically mounted on the outside of the cylinder and extending upwardly from points close to ground level, a single casing surrounding the rear and upper portion of each cylinder and set of blades to form an air'chamber connected with the air ducts and extending from close to the surface from which the snow is removed about the outer limits of the blades through a major part of their vertical extent and conjointly forming a chamber connected with each air duct, an upper and a lower fan mounted in parallel relation. on each shaft within each cylinder and rotatable with it, whereby a blast of air is driven from the ends of the spaces between the helical blades of each set and other blasts of air are carried through the cylinders, all said air discharging through each air duct which is adapted to carry snow picked up from ground level and discharge it with the air from the tops of the cylinders.

7. A snow-removing device which comprises, a pair of rotatable cylinders mounted in close juxtaposition and forming axially parallel air ducts open throughout and close to the surface from which the-snow is being removed at their bottom ends, a vertical shaft at the center of each cylinder connected with and supporting the same, a multiplicity of blades helically mounted on the outside of each cylinder and extending upwardly from points close to said surface, a pair offans mounted on each shaft within each cylinder the lower fanpositioned close to the bottom and-the 9 10 top thereof, a single casing enclosing the cylin- REFERENCES CITED ders and their respective blades positioned to ex- The following references are of record in the tend close about the outer limits of the two sets me of this patent: of blades and above the tops thereof, said casing being extended above the upper ends of the cylin- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ders to provide an enclosed chamber, means form- Number Name Date ing a laterally directed opening from said cham- 305,717 Sherry Sept. 23, 1884 her above the cylinder, and means for rotating 1,438,111 Hawley Dec. 5, 1922' the respective shaft and cylinder and helical 1,593,523 Wright July 20, 1926 blades and fans of each cylinder, whereby a blast 10 of air is driven along and through the cylinders FOREIGN PATENTS and the spaces between the blades into the cham- Number Country Date her which is adapted to carry snow picked up 135,039 Staubli NOV-2,1936

from ground level and discharge it with said air from the tops of the cylinder through said last 15 named opening.

ERVIE H. DANIELS. 

